


Butterfly, Flutter-bye, a Lie, and Good-bye

by euphorbic



Series: Angel of Cities [8]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Gratuitous Imagery, Implied Character Death, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-12-05 06:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/719706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphorbic/pseuds/euphorbic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Emma twists a thread, the same color as the sun, back and forth in her fingers. Charles suspects he knows what the thread is and finds it alarming. The thread leads down from her hand and like an exotic necklace it vanishes into her pushed up cleavage. The other end travels up into the sky, high but not so far that Charles cannot see its termination on the surface of the sun.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Emma… What have you done?”</i>
</p><p> </p><p> Emma brings Charles a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Butterfly, Flutter-bye, a Lie, and Good-bye

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this was written in past tense.
> 
> Preceded by [Icarus](http://archiveofourown.org/works/712118)
> 
> Happens semi-simultaneously with [Alexandria](http://archiveofourown.org/works/690605).

_Hey there, Sugar._

Charles squints against the light coming through his eyelids. He places a hand in front of his face to shield himself from the invading light.

_Oh, Honey, now don’t do that. If you do that, I’ll have to leave without giving you my gift._

“Emma,” Charles says, even though he knows it is her. He has the sense that it is very late and his body is overwrought from Erik’s sexual exuberance. “Emma, it’s late and I’m exhausted. Can we talk in the morning?”

_Charles, it isn’t late at all, you’re just tapped out from the fierceness of ‘Sexual’ Power Erik. I guess you now know what it feels like to stick your prick in the most devoted of light sockets. Come on, I don’t have much time and this is really important._

Charles doesn’t dispute Emma, although it is often the other way around. He opens his eyes warily, but already the light seems much dimmer. He finds Emma sitting primly in front of him, sitting amongst the rolling dunes of a glittering white desert at dusk, though strangely, the sun is still high in the sky.

Charles glances up at the sun, which is bright vermillion and turning red as he watches. The desert sand gathers the light and reflects it in all directions. The very air of the desert landscape sparkles.

Emma twists a thread, the same color of the sun, back and forth in her fingers. Charles suspects he knows what the thread is and finds it alarming. The thread leads down from her hand and like an exotic necklace, vanishes into her pushed up cleavage. The other end travels up into the sky, high but not so far that Charles cannot see its termination on the surface of the sun.

“Emma… What have you done?”

_Let’s talk like this, Charles, it’s faster. I don’t have much time and I need to give you something important and tell you something precious._

Charles nods, dreading the glittering sands as they begin to reflect the red of a cloudy horizon. _I’m listening._

_I broke up with Sebastian. He didn’t take it well._

Charles’ face grows ashen though Emma’s expression remains wry and unaffected. _No! Wake me up! I can send Erik!_

_Erik can’t go back in time and even Azazel isn’t fast enough, Honey. Thought travels faster. So, just listen to me._

The sun passes into burgundy. Charles staves off the grief he knows is hovering behind the rims of his eyes.

_\------ won’t take this well. He’ll fall out of Equilibrium at the very least. Without me, he’s open to binding and Sebastian knows his Name. If Sebastian forces an imprint with him, he’ll invert and become entropic. As much as I care for ------, we both care for Alexandria more, so you need to know two things._

Their glittering surroundings begin to grow chill. The sun passes from burgundy to violet. Stars begin to appear along the perimeter of the desert landscape. The sparkle in the air begins to fall as delicate flakes of snow.

_First, ------’s body is just as fragile as yours or mine. He’s had it so long that it is very taxing for him to manipulate. Conversely, his Spirit is stronger than any combination of Powers can overcome._

_You’re telling me how to kill your Power!_ Charles protests _. Emma, I can’t do that!_

The edges of night begin to draw up toward the darkening sun and the snow falls in earnest. However, instead of landing softly on the dunes, the flakes shatter.

Emma’s face is stern, her eyes glitter ruthlessly. _Do not fuck with me, Charles, and do not waste my time with your ridiculous ethics. When the time comes, you’ll need this. You’ll keep our library safe or I will die here inside your mind and leave you with a keloid scar across your Sight that will never go away. Understand?_

Charles throws his hands up in frustration. _What choice do I have?_

_None._

The moment the night draws even with the sun, the disc begins to grow pale again, but does not emit much more than starlight. Charles realizes then that the snowflakes are anything but: they are stars.

 _Now, second: ------’s element is Word and it is essential to his existence in the corporeal world that he keep his promises. Moreover, this means he cannot lie, except through ignorance or willful self-deception. Lies of ignorance have no power over him, but if you catch him in a lie of willful self-deception, which you will, all you have to do is expose it._ Emma sighs at the last bit, her icy demeanor cracking a little under the strain.

Charles does not reach out to her, though he longs to; he respects her too much to comfort her in a moment of weakness.

She smiles. _Thank you._

Reaching up, she pulls on the end of the cord that leads into the sky, to the disc that now looks like a pale moon. She starts to haul it in, hand over hand. _I don’t really care what you do to Sebastian, but don’t worry about ------ if he’s bound to him. ------’ll probably do his best to help you stop Sebastian; he’s extremely vengeful and very creative. But he’ll still have a sort of twisted devotion to him, too. Even if you wipe out his body in a painful way, it will be merciful compared to an existence bound to somebody that killed me._

Even though the moon is no bigger, Charles can sense it coming closer and closer. Soon, it is close enough to pluck from the air. It looks like a luminous pearl the size of a classroom globe. As he watches, she presses in on it, compressing it.

_Cut yourself for me, Sugar. I’m going to have to hide its true nature in order to give it to you._

All around, the stars continue to fall and shatter. There are a scant few left in the firmament. Charles knows Emma will be gone the moment the last one breaks, but if he is still there, he’ll be scarred with her death forever. He wills the palm of his right hand to split open, but keeps the blood from spilling forth. It continues to flow within the veins as if it is not exposed to air at all.

Emma continues to compress the pearl until it changes shape. It crumples in on itself like malleable glass. It tinkles, rings, and breaks without shattering. Soon it is hidden from view and the landscape is dark. The cold begins to seep into Charles’ bones.

_Emma…_

_Wait for it._

Just as the cold begins to truly cut into Charles, faint light streaks from Emma’s clasped hands. She opens them slowly for a pair of crystal wings to unfold. A crystal butterfly emerges from the chrysalis of Emma’s hands. It is a small thing; translucent and shimmering with fading light.

Charles offers his palm and it flutters crookedly as all butterflies do, and lands near his broken flesh. It is cold to the touch: not a crystal butterfly at all, but one made of ice. The butterfly’s tongue unwinds from of its tight spiral to touch and taste Charles’ blood. It drinks straight from the vein.

A long sigh comes from Emma. _Oh, that feels weird. You taste like… I don’t know. Something ridiculous like a summer day at the beach._

 _I taste like a sunburn, then,_ Charles quipped. The humor brought Emma a smile.

_Okay, now eat it._

A look of alarm crosses his face, but Emma silences Charles with one upraised palm. _This is the most important thing I can give you, Charles. If you don’t take it, my presence here is wasted. Except for that whole keloid scar across your Sight thing. I’m sure Erik will still love and fuck you, though._

 _I’ll miss you, Emma_ , Charles sighs.

She rolls her eyes, though Charles can tell she’s secretly pleased. _Lovely. My last moments are going to be spent listening to somebody tell me things I already know._

_That and Azazel’s Bonded has a vast collection of tabloid pictures of you and your Power._

_Really?_ Emma perks up at that. The last star detaches from the firmament and begins to fall.

 _No, not really_ , _Janos is as gay as you always said._ Charles places the butterfly on his tongue and closes his mouth. It melts almost instantly, but not so fast that he doesn’t feel the brave flutter of its delicate wings.

Emma is laughing when Charles closes his eyes.

***

Charles dreams of a desert made of shattered stars, but forgets the moment Erik bolts from the bed. Charles’ sleep is deep and unbroken.


End file.
